Genus and species of the plant claimed: Euphorbia lophogonaxc3x97E. milii. 
Variety denomination: xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia lophogonaxc3x97E. milii, commonly known as Crown of Thorns and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99.
The new Euphorbia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Haarslev, Fyn, Denmark. The new Euphorbia milii originated from a cross made in 2001 by the Inventor, Steen Thomsen, with unnamed cultivars of Euphorbia. The male parent is an unnamed seedling of Euphorbia milii Desmoul. and female parent is an unnamed seedling of Euphorbia lophogona. The Inventor selected the new Euphorbia cultivar as a single plant from the progeny of the above crossing in 2001 on the basis of its flower color and compact, freely branching habit. Plants of the new Euphorbia are upright, compact and have a unique color and abundant medium sized flowers.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken and propagated and trial production batches at Hjortebjerg Nurseries, Denmark, has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia are stable and reproduced true to type in many successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Floral colors: Bracts from 158B, yellow-white to 149D yellow-green with red margins.
2. Very dense and bushy plant form.
3. Moderately vigorous, cylindrical growth habit; compact plant habit.
4. High number of flowers per plant borne on long gray-orange peduncles 177A.
Plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99 can be compared to plants of the cultivar Euphorbia milii. xe2x80x98Themisxe2x80x99 (unpatented). Side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Haarslev, Denmark, of the cultivar xe2x80x98Atlasxe2x80x99 and the cultivar xe2x80x98Themisxe2x80x99 have shown they differ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Euphorbia have striking red color and staminate cyathia with green, red bordered glands.
2. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller dark green leaves than xe2x80x98Themisxe2x80x99.
3. Plants of the new Euphorbia have longer and stiffer peduncles than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Themisxe2x80x99.
4. Plants of the new Euphorbia are more compact than the plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Themisxe2x80x99.
5. Plants of the new Euphorbia have more flowers per plant than the plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Themisxe2x80x99.